Coal-cutting machine



Jan. 26, 1926. 1,571,162

G RIMMER GOAL CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 10, 1925 4 D I; 1 mm l 'atentedJan. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,571,162 PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT RIMMER, or RADFORD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IQ sULLrvAn mncmnnnyCOMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ooAL-oUTTING MACHINE.

Application filed January To all whom it may concern Be it known that I,GILBERT RIMMER, a subject of the King of England, residing in Radford,Nottingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Coal-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to coal-cuttingmachines wherein there is a pivoted jib which is capable of being slewedabout its pivot and round the margin of which is an endless chain termedthe cutter-chain armed. with cutting tools or picks and travelling inthe plane of the jib.

It is customary to utilize the haulagechain, which is generall anordinary loose link chain, to'slew the jib and hitherto difficulty hasbeen experienced from the fact that the haulage-chain should it becomeslack, is liable to sag and foul the fastmoving cutter-chain.

One means for overcoming this drawback is described in prior BritishPatent No. 196,004: and comprises a bridging connector serving as acontinuation of the end of the haulage or other chain which is to beconnected to the jib for the purpose of slewing it. The presentinvention is designed to improve such bridging connector andis ap pliedto that type of such device comprising two or more links pivotallyconnected to one another end-toend with the axis of pivoting transverseto the plane in which the cutter-chain moves. 1

According to the present invention the connector is combined with one ormore roll ing or anti-friction members associated therewith to aflord abearing surface or bearing surfaces between said connector and anadjacent part of the coal-cutting machine. When rollers or like devicesare employed each of them is preferably rotatably mounted in theconnector to rotate about an axis which is parallel with or coincidentwith the axis of hinging between the links of the connector.

When the jib is employed in arc-cutting Work, it must generally beslewed through an angle of rather more than 180 several times a day. Inordinary longwall work it is slewed through approximately 90 only. It isnecessary, however, for the machine to be so designed that the jib canbe slewed through the larger angle and consequently 1c, 1925. Serial No.1,687.

the bridging connector or as, it is sometimes called the sumjping hookattachment, has to be of considerable length and greater than would benecessary if onlythe smaller angle had to be accommodated. During theslewing, the chain and the connector at its end have usually been, inone position of the jib, lapped round the end or head-member of thecoal-cutting machine, and it is found of considerable advantage toprovide the means according to the present invention whereby thefriction between the connector or sumping hook and the adjacent wall ofthe coalcutting machine is considerably reduced.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, onepreferred form of the invention will now be described in detail by wayof example only, with the aid-of the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a plan View of a portion of the jib and the c onnectonandFigure 2 is an elevation of the parts illustrated in Figure 1 with theconnector removed for the sake of clearness.

Like referencenumerals indicate like parts in both figures of thedrawings. 7

An inboard portion of the main suspension member for the jib, orback-hanger as it is sometimes termed, is represented at l and isadapted tobe slewed, in the end or head of the coal-cutting machine,about the axis of an orifice 2. The outer contour of the end or head isindicated in chain lines at 3.

Mounted on the part 1 is a bracket l which is secured to the part 1 inany preferred manner and is formed with an upstanding wall 5 to which issecured, by means of bolts 6 a bracket 7.

The connector above referred to is in the form of a link-chain, thelinks of which are indicated by the reference numeral 8, made up of anumber of links pivoted together end to end by pivot-pin 9. On thepivotpins 9 are mounted rollers or wheels 10 each of which extendslaterally beyond the sides of the chain so that the peripheries of therollers or wheels only engage with the adjacent surface of that wall orpart of the cutting-machine indicated by the reference numeral 3. Thesurfaces of the links are thus maintained free from engagement with thepart 3.

On the bracket 7 at each end are pairs of spaced ears or lugs 11 eachpair being provided with co-axial apertures 12. The cars or lugs 11 ateach end are spaced apart sufficiently to receive between them the endlinks of the connector and the latter is secured to the bracket? by avpin 13 passing through the orifices in the end links of the chain andthrough the apertures 12 in the lugs 11. In Figure 1 the connector isillustrated as secured to one pair of cars or lugs 11 but it will beunderstood that it may be removed from that end of the bracket 7 andsecured between the lugs 11 at the other end thereof.

It will be seen therefore that when a long connector or sumping hookconsisting of a comparatively large number of links 18 employed it isthe connector itself which is mainly or wholly lapped around the head 3of the cutting machine so that when the antifriction devices, such asthe wheels 10, are pro ided according to the present invention, the bulkof the friction-loss above referred to is eliminated.

In the specific embodiment described the connector is sufiicicntlyinflexible in a direct on towards the jib as to prevent it sagging inits own length so far towards the cutter-chain as to permit fouling withthe latter. Its length is so chosen that both the connector and thehaulage-chain, which will be engaged by the hook 14 at the end of theconnector, will be kept clear of the cutterchain if, for example, anytilting movement of tin; connector toward the jib is permitted by theoperative connection between the two parts.

The above described embodiment is capable of many modifications indetail without departing from the spirit of the invention, and theinvention includes all such modifications.

I claim:

1. For use in conjunction with a mining machine having a frame having anarcuate guiding surface and a cutter bar pivoted on an axis insubstantially the same line with the axis of said arcuate surface, aflexible tension element having means for connecting it in fixedrelation to the bar to apply a swinging force to the latter, saidelement being adapted to flex only in planes parallel to the plane ofbar swing and having rolling means associated therewith and adapted toengage said guiding surface as said element is flexed around the latter.

2. For use in conjunction with a mining machine having a frame having anarcuate guiding surface andacutter bar pivoted on an axis insubstantially the same line with the axis of said arcuate surface, aflexible tension element having means for connecting it in fixedrelation to the bar to apply a swinging force to the latter, saidelement being adapted to flex only in planes parallel to the planes ofbar swing and comprising a plurality of links hinged together on axesperpendicular to the plane of bar swing and rolling means rotatable onaxes substantially perpendicular to the plane of bar swing and adaptedto engage said guiding surface as said elementis flexed around thelatter.

3. For use in conjunction with a mining machine having a frame having anarcuate guiding surface and a cutter bar pivoted on an axis insubstantially the same line with the axis of said arcuate surface, aflexible tension element having means for connecting it in fixedrelation to the bar to apply a swinging force to the latter, saidelement being adapted to flex only in planes parallel to the plane ofbar swing and comprising a plurality of links hinged together on axesperpendicular to the plane of bar swing and having rolling meansrotatable on axes coincident with said axes of hinging, said rollingmeans being adapted to engage said guiding surface as said element isflexed around the latter.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GILBERT RIMMER.

